


Fate/Rise: Birth of the Master Hero

by BlueBurningHero



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, 盾の勇者の成り上がり - アネコユサギ | Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari | The Rising of the Shield Hero - Aneko Yusagi
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Crossover, Exploration, F/M, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Summoning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26655451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBurningHero/pseuds/BlueBurningHero
Summary: Was it a freak accident? Or a work of Fate? Either way, no one saw a fifth Cardinal Hero, known as the Master Hero, coming to Melromarc, and either did they see that he had the ability to summon familiars known as Heroic Spirits. What Role does the Master Hero play in this new tale?
Relationships: Charlotte Corday | Assassin/Original Master(s) (Fate), Iwatani Naofumi/Raphtalia
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	1. Prologue: Accident, or twist of Fate?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own the Fate series or Rising of the Shield Hero. All OCs are own by me.

One man stood atop the mountain, and stood firm against the harrowing wind. By his side stood seven Servants, all from different corners of time and myth, all blessed with the power to protect their Master, and his four allies who stood at the forefront. They were all Heroes, banded together under the same banner after a long series of strife, misdirection, and personal growth.

Fate had brought all of these individuals together to fight against a powerful force of nature unlike any they had witnessed in their adventures until this point.

Rising to the challenge, one warrior who bore the Shield lead the charge in the final battle. He and the other Three Heroes, as well as his own allies, set forth to face the approaching evil.

The Master gave his command to his Seven Servants to aid the Four Heroes doing battle. All but one Servant followed his orders. The Last Servant was determined to stay by her Master's side and protect him, the cost of harm be damned.  
While he greatly appreciated her loyalty, it deeply concerned him that she would to such lengths to ensure his safety. He had made it clear time and again that was fully capable of taking care of himself.

There was no time to hesitate. The final fight was raging, and he intended to see it through, in order to fulfill a single wish.

Where did this Hero's story begin? Was it a freak accident, or was it a twist of fate that lead him this far? What was his role in the story up until now?

It is time to go back to the beginning to where this fateful journey began...


	2. Abnormal Circumstances

_"What is this?"_ thought the young mage, named Hideaki Shiraishi. He had purplish black straight hair, gray eyes, and a pale complexion. He wore a black jacket, white shirt, navy pants, and brown shoes.

He could have sworn he was studying for a particularly important exam in the Clock Tower, until suddenly, he was blinded by a flash of light, and the next moment, he found himself in another room, with four other young men around his age, surrounded by a group who appear to be priests.

"Thank goodness, the summoning was a success!" exclaimed one of the priests, "Please brave heroes, save our world from impending evil-huh?" the priest paused when he noticed that the intended number of "heroes" increased by one.

 _"What's going on here?"_ Hideaki pondered, before turning the other four who were apparently summoned here as well, _"And who are these guys?"_

As his training in magecraft has taught him, he noted each of their appearances upon first glance. They were all clearly Japanese like himself.

First, a young man in green, probably around the same age or so as Hideaki himself. He had black messy hair, and green eyes. He had what appeared to be a silver shield mounted on his left wrist, with an especially noticeable green jewel embedded in the center. He seemed more confused than the rest of the group.

Next, the tallest and possibly the oldest of the group, who had blonde hair tied in a ponytail, as well as bright orange eyes. He noticed he distinctly wore red, and that he was carrying a silver spear with a red jewel on it. Hideaki noticed a rather arrogant demeanor about him.

Next to the blonde, was another black haired individual, who cold and distant blue eyes, wore blue clothing, and was carrying a gold and silver sword with a blue jewel in its guard. Despite his stoic visage, he seemed to be high school age by the look of him.

The same could he said of the last boy in the group. He was the shortest, had light brown curly hair, and dull golden eyes. He wore what appeared to be a greenish yellow school uniform, meaning he was probably in high school, too. He held of a silver bow with a yellow jewel in his hands.

Compared to himself, they seemed to have weapons granted to them, but Hideaki was left empty handed, save for a small decorative silver box with a large purple jewel embedded on the lid in his hand. It was small and compact enough to fit in his hand. He felt a strange power emanating from it. But, he had any more time to ponder, the priest from earlier spook aloud.

"Please brave heroes, save our world from mortal peril!"

"Is this for real?!" asked the young man with the shield.

"What do you mean it's in need of saving?" the boy with the bow asked politely.

"To put it bluntly, the story is long and complicated, but you are the Four Cardinal Heroes, who we've summoned through the use of an ancient ritual. Well, there should be four, but…" the priest's eyes briefly turn to Hideaki, who remained silent.

 _"But, I somehow got dragged into this too…?"_ silently asked Hideaki.

"At any rate, our world is dire peril and teeters on the brink of destruction. Please, we beg you great heroes, help us in our time of need." the priest bowed his head as begs the five young men for aid.

 _"This can't be real."_ Hideaki thought. Why should he help a world in peril despite being forcibly brought here against his will? This question was not doubt running through the minds of the other "heroes" as well.

"I-I could at least hear you guys out…" the man with the shield said, not entirely sure how to react to all of this.

 _"He's willing to listen to this dribble? I guess he's inherently kind, though he seems a bit naïve."_ thought Hideaki, as he looked toward the Shield Hero.

"No way!" the Sword Hero suddenly called out.

"I also refuse." said the Bow Hero.

"You can send us back to our world, right? Do that, and maybe we'll talk." said the Spear Hero.

 _"These three on the other hand…"_ Hideaki raised an eyebrow at the three who refused. This display of arrogance from the three immediately rubbed him the wrong way.

"You brought the five of us here without our consent. Don't you feel the least bit guilty about it?" asked the Sword Hero, pointing his sword at the priests.

"Additionally, if you send us back home as soon as peace is resort, and we'll have done all that work for nothing." added the Bow Hero.

 _"They seem to be taking this situation in stride far too quickly if they're making demands right off the bat."_ thought Hideaki. History and mythology has proven that not all heroes are virtuous as some legends make them out to be, but these three heroes seem a bit too arrogant for the mage's tastes. Morally speaking, they have a point. These five young men were essentially kidnapped, and now are being asked to save the world, so they have every right to be angry about this situation. However, their tone and posture told the mage that they didn't seem the least bit sincere about it.

"Also, you said Four Heroes, right? Well, what about this guy? Why'd you summon a bystander without a weapon? I doubt he can contribute much if he's completely helpless." the Spear Hero pointed to Hideaki, who was noticeably the only one not carrying a weapon, but a box.

 _"Patronizing much?"_ Hideaki scowled at the Spear Hero. Admittedly though, he was curious as what his role in this entire scenario was. He had no weapon, but this box had a strange, yet familiar energy. Deciphering this mystery definitely bore priority.

"Y-Yes, we were trying to summon the Four Cardinal Heroes, but we never expected a fifth hero to appear. And once more, he has no legendary weapon. I honestly haven't a clue as to how this happened…" the priest said, equally perplexed by these chain of events.

 _"So, I'm here as a result of an accident in trying to summon these "Four Cardinal Heroes", but instead, you got five? What incompetence."_ Hideaki surmised in his head, _"Still, what are the odds of experiencing 'Isekai' like in anime? It's both intriguing, and absurd."_

Hideaki sometimes watched anime and played video games in his spare time when he wasn't studying magecraft or listening to a lecture in the Clock Tower. Unlike most mages, he was intoned to modern society, because he grew in such a world before he started learning more about magecraft. That said, he wasn't as avid a fan of such things, and such an entitlement would go to his mentor, who was secretly a slob at home, and had quite a few video games and anime in his room. Not that Hideaki would dare venture into such a space again, nor would he spill his guts on how his mentor secretly lived for fear of a harsh lecture, and his mentor was particularly known for being strict with his students.

In any event, summoning magic did in fact exist in the world Hideaki came from, but those were typically used for summoning familiars or some type of Mythic Code for a mage to use. Particularly in a certain ritual, summoning the strongest familiars in creation was essential. Never before had Hideaki ever heard of a mage being summoned to another world, except Second Magic, which was all about traveling to parallel worlds. Were these people capable of using Second Magic to summon people from different worlds? Well, there will be time to ponder this later. Right now, Hideaki decided to listen to what these people have to say before making sense of everything.

"How much are you willing to accommodate us? Depending on your answer, we may consider you the enemy." the Spear Hero declared.

"I'd prefer if you didn't do make such proclamations on my behalf. I still haven't voiced my opinion on the subject." Hideaki finally spoke aloud directly the Spear Hero.

"Oh, so you aren't mute? Sorry about that." the Spear Hero smirked, "But seriously, doesn't it piss you that you got summoned to save this world against your will and not receive anything in return?"

"I am, but I'm withholding my outrage because I care more for answers to these abnormal circumstances and less about some reward I'll get for saving a world I know nothing about." said Hideaki, as his steely gaze turned toward the priests in front of the heroes.

"W-Well, perhaps an audience with the King of Melromarc would help shed some light on this mystery. You can also discuss negotiations for your rewards with him as well, so please." the priest suggested, rather nervously. Perhaps he wasn't expecting the heroes to be as obstinate as they've been presented as.

"Alright then." spoke the Sword Hero, putting his weapon down, and being the first to advance, followed by Bow and Spear Heroes, leaving Hideaki and the Shield Hero behind.

"I suppose we should consider their offer."

"It doesn't matter who we talk to, our demands won't change."

"This will be a long endeavor, I know it…" said Hideaki under his breath.

"Geez, can those guys be anymore smug?" muttered the Shield Hero.

"The title of hero most likely went to their heads almost immediately. Hopefully, ignoring them will be easier than it sounds." replied Hideaki, as he began advancing after the other heroes and the priests, whom were likely guiding them to the throne room.

"Hey wait up!" the Shield Hero called as he briefly chased after Hideaki as they group left the dark chamber they were summoned in.

As the Five Heroes ascend the stairs, the Shield Hero decided to converse with the Fifth Hero on everything that has happened. The both heroes were trailing behind the other three, with the priest leading the way.

"So, what do you think? About our situation, that is?"

"Obviously, I think it's insane. So logically speaking, the only way to make sense of this insanity is to learn all we can and decide what to do. I'm assuming this is wishful thinking, but I do hope there's an option to leave this world and return home effective immediately."

"So in other words, you're not particularly jazzed about being summoned here."

"Isn't that obvious?" Hideaki asked sharply, making the Shield Hero flinch a bit.

"Y-Yeah, I guess. Sorry."

"It's fine. Obviously, it's not your fault." rather, it was the fault of these priests for summoning him along with their intended targets. Then again, unforeseen accidents can happen any time, any place, so he shouldn't place too much fault in them.

Hideaki took the time to look at the window, spotting numerous buildings below this castle. This was most likely the Kingdom of Melromarc, and it seemed to have similarities to medieval Europe, based on history texts he read and portraits he had seen.

"We really are in a fantasy world, huh?" asked Bow Hero.

"It sure is." answered the Spear Hero.

 _"Oh yeah, most Isekai anime tend to base their worlds on medieval Europe, don't they? Not surprising, since the medieval era of Europe had the most magus activity, as far as I'm aware."_ Hideaki said to himself. Clearly, the other four Heroes were not mages, so he decided it best to keep information regarding magecraft a secret for now, as dictated by the rules of the Mages' Association keeping the existence of the supernatural secret from the general public who were otherwise unaware of its existence.

"The breeze feels nice." the Shield Hero said, as he gazed out the window, "Feels like a typical sales pitch on a brochure."

"Wait, you mean you've never traveled outside of Japan?" asked the Bow Hero to the Shield Hero.

Hideaki quickly noticed how the Spear, Bow, and Sword Heroes were literally and figuratively looking down on the Shield Hero.

"Judging from the breeze, I'd say this is your fairly standard Mediterranean clement."

 _"And judging by the way you three are positioned on the stairs, you must think yourselves above us for having more standard weapons, as opposed to a shield, which traditionally isn't considered a weapon, and myself for not having a weapon in the first place."_ thought Hideaki, sporting an annoyed expression.

"Yeah, yeah… sorry for my lack of knowledge or vocabulary." the Shield Hero meekly apologized.

Eventually, the Five Heroes reach the throne room, where they would meet with the King of Melromarc.

Said King sat in one of the two thrones, while the other was oddly vacant, with sight of the Queen anywhere. Various nobles and soldiers in armor stood to the side as the king and the five heroes stood in the center of the room, facing each other.

"So, you are the Four Cardinal Heroes of ancient legend?" asked the elderly King, before his eyes trailed over to Hideaki, "And, if I'm not mistaken, there appears to be a 'Fifth Hero'?"

"I'm here because of some freak accident in this summoning ritual of yours." answered Hideaki.

"I see, most unfortunate." said the King, "Well then, I humbly welcome you all to the great land of Melromarc. I am her King, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII. Now then, brave heroes, please identify yourselves."

The first to up was the Sword Hero, "I'm Ren Amaki, high school student, 16 years old."

Second was the Spear Hero, "I'm Motoyasu Kitamura, college student, 21 years old."

Third, "I'm Itsuki Kawasumi, also a high school student, 17 years old."

The Shield Hero would presumably be fourth to introduce himself but, "Guess I'm up next. I'm-"

"I see. Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, huh? And you, Fifth Hero? What is your name?" Aultcray asked directly to Hideaki.

 _"Did just he skip over the Shield Hero? He doesn't seem senile, so was it intentional?"_ Hideaki wondered quietly.

"Y-Yo, King! You forget about me!"

"Ah, my apologizes." said Aultcray, with a hint of indifference.

Hideaki noted this right away, now confirming that it was intentional. Because of his observant behavior, he could see the ever subtle bits of a person's personality. This King doesn't seem to like the Shield Hero much for some reason. He also noted how the other nobles looked at the Shield Hero for his casual way of speaking to the King, and they didn't seem to take kindly to it. The Shield must not be well liked here.

"Hey, c'mon! He's a king, you should address him with a little more respect than that!" admonished Itsuki to the Shield Hero.

"Oh, so should I call him 'Your Majesty'? Sounds a little too formal."

_"You probably shouldn't be showing him any respect at all, given the way he disrespectfully skipped over you."_

"Just King is fine." clarified Aultcray.

"Well, whatever works. I'm Naofumi Iwatani, college student, 20 years old."

"And now, last but not least, this Fifth Hero."

Naofumi made an incredulous face, clearing wondering if the King was intentionally ignoring him.

 _"Yes, Naofumi, he is intentionally ignoring you. I have no idea why, though."_ Hideaki silently replied, "I'd rather not be called a Hero just yet, when I haven't decided whether or not I would save this world, but it is proper courtesy to give one's name to royalty, I suppose. I'm Hideaki Shiraishi, also a college student. Currently studying abroad. 21 years old."

"I see." nodded the King, "Now then, I believe I owe all of you an explanation. My beloved country of Melromarc and the world at large is utter peril, and is headed down the path of ruin."

_"Because this explanation was particularly long and tedious, I'll sum it up for you in smaller detail as best I can._

_There is an ancient apocalyptic prophecy stating that "Waves of Catastrophe" will destroy the world. During these "Waves", the skies will darken, and monsters will appear everywhere, laying waste to anything and everyone in their path. The first Wave had washed over this country not long before the five of us were summoned. The adventurers and soldiers were able to fend off the first Wave, but the ones to follow will increase more and more in difficulty. If the calamities caused by these Waves aren't dealt with, the world will end._

_That is why the Four Cardinal Heroes have been summoned, to fight the Waves and protect this world and its inhabitants. When summoned, the Heroes bear these Legendary Weapons, the Sword, the Spear, the Bow, and the Shield respectively._

_There are these artifacts called the Dragon Hourglasses that each kingdom has. These devices can predict with the next Wave will come, and they'll continue to move and pile on until all the waves have been averted._

_The next Wave is due in less than a month from now."_

By the time the King finished his story, the sun began to set.

"We underestimated the potency of the Waves." said Aultcray, solemnly, "When we experienced the first Wave's devastation first hand, we realized we needed the Four Cardinal Heroes to prevent more tragedies. So, we followed the legend and summoned you four heroes, in addition to Hideaki-dono, the 'Fifth Hero', albeit by accident."

"Hmm…" Hideaki said nothing. It seemed the King was intent on using that moniker, no matter what.

"But, now that we have summoned the five of you, there is no time to lose!"

Naofumi seemed to realize something. He recalled reading about something similar in a book he found moments before he was summoned to Melromarc.

"Okay, I think we got the gist of it." said Ren calmly, "But, you seriously don't expect us to work for free, right?"

"Agreed, unless we have something to gain, we won't work for you." said Itsuki.

"Yeah, so what'll it be? If you don't say something soon, we might not agree to help you guys." said Motoyasu.

This drew more annoyance from Hideaki. Was a reward all they care about? He was beginning to think these guys in particular might be poor choices for Heroes.

"But of course." said the short and elderly advisor, who sported a confident and arrogant grin, "Once you've cleared the Waves, we'll reward you handsomely."

"Alright then, I'd say we have an agreement." smiled Motoyasu.

"We'll work with you, but as long as you don't go back on your word. Don't think for a moment we can be tamed." said Ren.

"Agreed, if you think you can look down on us, then you're sorely mistaken." said Itsuki, confidently.

 _"Oh, I have no doubt you three will be very easy to manipulate."_ Hideaki internally sighed. Given that they haven't questioned a thing and have just accepted everything they were told, the young mage couldn't imagine these three making smart decisions in the future. Instead, the decisions will be made for them, and they'll just blindly follow them. That was the kind of irksome impression he got from them.

"R-Right, what they said!" said Naofumi, clearly in an awkward position for not having a confidant retort as well. Of course, he was similarly unimpressed by how full of themselves the three heroes were either.

"If we've reached an agreeable conclusion then-"

"Sorry, but I must decline." voiced Hideaki, interrupting Aultcray, and shocking everyone in the throne room.

"E-Excuse me, Hideaki-dono…?" uttered the King in belief.

"I'm sorry to say this, but I'm opting out, and would like to return to my world."

"Can you give us an explanation as to why you've decided to decline?"

"I'm afraid I have no interest in helping your country, or saving this world, especially since I was essentially brought here by force. If the others want go on this grand quest, that's on them. As for myself, I'd rather be sent home and forget this all happened." said Hideaki, firmly.

"Whoa, dude, are you being serious?" Motoyasu asked, giving the Fifth Hero an incredulous look.

"Hideaki, why would you say that right to the King's face?" asked Ren.

"They've asked for our help, and you're going to turn them down just like that?" asked Itsuki.

"Didn't you three refuse to offer your aid unless you were rewarded first?" Hideaki asked, addressing Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu, "Besides, this legend of theirs called for the "Four Cardinal Heroes". There's no need for a fifth, especially when we have no idea what I can actually do."

"Yeah, but think about it! We're in what amounts to a video game, we're being treated like celebrities, and we get to save the world! Why pass that up?!"

"Because, Motoyasu, I have my studies to get back to. I really don't want to miss my next exam, which is really important for me." replied Hideaki.

"Oh yeah? Or maybe, there's a special lady waiting for you back home, am I right?" inquired the Spear Hero, with a lecherous grin, "I bet you're really studying abroad to sample the exotic women there, am I right?"

"That's none of your business." Hideaki replied, annoyed by the Spear Hero's nonchalant and perverted attitude. _"That's all we need right now, isn't it? A clown posing as a hero who thinks with his spear down stairs."_

"Hideaki, you really think college work is more important than saving the world?" asked Naofumi.

"Yes it is, at least for me. I know this sounds callous and I'm aware of the situation, but in all honestly, this doesn't feel like my problem. I don't really care for the reward or celebrity status either. I just wanna go home without any trouble."

"Ahem!" Aultcray coughed into his hand, "It is unfortunate that you refuse to help us, Hideaki-dono, and I deeply apologize for keeping you from your studies. Had we realized beforehand that this would happen, we would have used more caution in summoning the Four Heroes. However, we cannot send you back to your world at this time."

"Huh, seriously?" gasped Naofumi.

"Is that a fact?" an annoyed Hideaki responded, crossing his arms.

"Summoning the Heroes from different worlds to this one works only in this one way. Returning them to their worlds is impossible, so long as the Waves of Catastrophe continue to threaten our way of life." explained the King.

"So in other words, unless the Waves are dealt with, none of us can go back to our original world?"

"That is correct."

"Well, that's just perfect." Hideaki grumbled, "And how long we supposed to put up with these Waves? In fact, how many are we talking about here?"

"To be frank, I'm afraid I have no idea. We could be dealing with the Waves for months, or possibly years. Next to nothing is known about how these Waves work."

"Wait, so you've done no research on these 'Waves of Catastrophe' that's bombarding your world with monsters? None whatsoever?" asked Hideaki, surprised by this specific bit of information.

"I'm afraid so. All we know is what the prophecy foretold, and that the Waves are highly concentrated sources of energy. It is so dense in fact, I believe we don't have enough magic to send you back to your world as a result of its density."

"Ugh, this is just too perfect…" Hideaki sighed in irritation, pitching the bridge of his nose. Judging by the King's story though, these are recent events that are just happening, so it made sense that they couldn't make time for actual research and preparation for the first Wave. Plus, they were busy trying to stay alive. Well, now that they had a taste of the Waves of Catastrophe first hand, they might be better prepared, especially with the "Heroes" on board.

"Well, that's a bummer, huh?" Motoyasu said, casually patting Hideaki on the back, "Guess that means you're stuck here whether you like it or not."

"We'll just have to do the best we can until the Waves end." said Itsuki.

"Yeah, so complaining now is pointless." said Ren.

"Why are you guys so casual about this? This means you can't go home too, you know." voiced Naofumi.

"Huh, guess you're right. Oh well." Motoyasu shrugged, "Nothing we can do, but role with the punches. Taking down these Waves should be no problem for us." said a confident Motoyasu.

"Agreed."

"I second that as well."

"Are you guys for real?"

Hideaki just sighed once more, having enough to here from the other four heroes' stupidity, "Fine! if I must, I'll help you fight the Waves. In fact, if I could research these Waves myself, it might be beneficial for all of us."

"I thank you for cooperation, Hideaki-dono." the King nodded.

"Still, I don't know how useful I can be. I have no idea what I'm capable of in this world. Especially when I don't have a weapon. All I have is this box." Hideaki said, presenting the squire box in front of the King.

"Hmm, this is curious indeed." said the King, gazing at the box intently, "In all my years, I've never heard of a hero carrying a box before."

"So, are we supposed to call you the "Box Hero" now? What're you gonna do, beat enemies to death with it? Haha!" Motoyasu chuckled at his own joke.

"You are such a clown!" Hideaki jeered at the Spear Hero.

"Perhaps checking your statuses would clear up this mystery." the King suggested, not keen on having the heroes bicker among themselves just yet.

"Huh?" Hideaki exclaimed.

"What's a status?" asked Naofumi.

Itsuki and Motoyasu seemed equality confused as Hideaki and Naofumi.

"Are you guys dense? It should have been the very first thing you noticed before you got here." spoke slightly annoyed Ren.

Come to think of it, Hideaki did see a small bright purple dot-like icon at the lower right corner of his vision. He focused on other things before figuring what it does and momentarily forgot about it. "The icon on the lower left corner of your vision? That's what you're referring to, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." confirmed the Sword Hero, "Try focusing your attention on that."

The other heroes did as instructed by Ren immediately.

Hideaki immediately saw a menu open, resembling a character sheet of sorts. It was reminiscent of how a magus perceived information, but this status menu seemed to focus himself and his own status, like how a RPG worked.

He scanned over his status carefully, and he made note of his current parameters.

** [[Name: Hideaki Shiraishi]] **   
** [[Age: 21]] **   
** [[Class: Master Hero]] **   
** [[Level: 1]] **   
** [[EXP: 000]] **

** [[Weapon: Legendary Treasure Box]] **

** [[Max HP: 80]] **   
** [[Max MP: 100]] **   
** [[Max SP: 40]] **

** [[ATT: 11]] **   
** [[MAG: 18]] **   
** [[P.DEF: 10]]  
[[M.DEF: 20]] **   
** [[AGI: 9]] **   
** [[DEX: 24]] **

** [[Equipment: Otherworldly Clothes]] **

** [[Special Skills: Summon Familiar]] **

"Master Hero?" Hideaki mumbled, quickly finding this title perplexing. Was it related to the box he was holding? He looked down to the box in his hand, and his curiosity sparked, never mind his rather mixed stats on the board.

"Level 1? Wow, that's disconcerting." sighed Itsuki.

"Yeah, how do expect us to fight like this?" asked Motoyasu.

"What is all this, anyway?" asked Naofumi.

"It is called Status Magic; an ability only the Heroes are capable of using." answered the advisor.

"So, where do we go? What's our first step?" asked Ren to the advisor.

"You must go on adventures, and update these Legendary Weapons you've been equipped with." the advisor answered.

 _"I see. So if this world functions like an RPG, we can level up, learn skills, and develop them with time. That explains why we're at level 1. Starting out maxed out would be too easy."_ thought Hideaki.

"So we're not even maxed out?" groaned Naofumi, "Also, mine's technically not a weapon."

"At least you got something. Hideaki's just stuck with some dumb box." said Motoyasu.

The 'Master Hero' ignored that comment, choosing to focus on learning of what this box can do. He found instructions pertaining to the silver box.

 _"This Legendary Treasure Box contains items that only the Master Hero can use to bring forth familiar spirits."_ Hideaki silently read to himself, _"What kind of familiars are we talking about here?"_

"Anyway, can't we just use other weapons until these are usable?" the Spear Hero asked while waving around his spear like a showoff.

"We'll just have to figure that out as we go." said the Sword Hero.

"Right, we've got a lot of training and preparing ahead of us." concurred the Bow Hero.

"Yeah, and once we feel ready, we can party up and-"

"A moment, brave Heroes." the advisor interrupted Naofumi, "I neglected to mention, you must gather allies and adventure separately." he explained, to the surprise of the four heroes.

Hideaki scowled a bit, _"Why do I get the feeling he was purposely withholding that information just for this?"_

"And why is that?" asked Itsuki.

"It is said that the Legendary Weapons repel one another. If you were to try to work together in a group, their development will be hindered."

"He's telling the truth." said Naofumi, deducing that the weapons are also translating this world's visual and liberal information into Japanese.

"Sounds like a horrendous handicap, especially its forcing us to work separately, which could make fighting the Waves more difficult than it needs to be. But, then again, it also works in having us cover more ground on our own and letting us explore the possibilities of these weapons on our own without interference, so we can think of it as beneficial too." said Hideaki.

"That reminds me. Hideaki-dono, have you had a look at your title and found out what your weapon is capable of?" asked Aultcray.

"Yes. I'm apparently a 'Master Hero', and my so-called weapon is called the 'Legendary Treasure Box'." Hideaki replied, as he finished reading more about his 'weapon', the Legendary Treasure Box he was carrying.

"Master Hero, you say?" asked the intrigued King, "And what is this Legendary Treasure Box exactly? What does it do?"

"According the instructions on this box, I can summon powerful familiars to my side to do battle on my behalf."

"So you just call for a familiar from the box and it'll come running to fight for you? That's kinda cool, actually." said Motoyasu.

"I don't summon my familiars from the box itself. Rather, I use the items stored inside to do it. However, it takes a set amount MP to summon the familiars. My magic stats are pretty high at the moment, so its likely I could use other magic based techniques, with the only downside being my moderate physical attack and defense."

It made some amount of sense, actually. He was a mage student at the Clock Tower, thus to some capacity, it seemed his ability to use magic carried over when he was summoned to this world. Also, he practiced self defense training in addition to studying magecraft, so his less than savvy physical stats manifested as such.

"Come to think of it, what's in there, anyway?" asked Naofumi.

"I'm curious myself." Itsuki said.

"Good question. Might as well open her up!" Motoyasu nonchalantly snatched Hideaki's box from him and attempts to open it.

"Hey!" Hideaki snapped, before noticing Motoyasu struggling to open it for some reason

"What the hell?! It won't open!" he growled, as he continued to struggle. Suddenly, sparks violently flash around, shocking Motoyasu and making him throw box away.

Hideaki caught it before it hit the ground.

"What the hell just happened?! When I touched the damn thing, I saw this warning sign thing saying "Rule Violations" and it shocked me! What does that mean?!"

"It means that because you've been chosen by a specific weapon, you cannot pick any other type of weapon, lest you get a nasty shock like that. I suppose the same rule applies to this legendary box belonging to the Master Hero." said the advisor.

"So in other words, only Hideaki can open it and use what's inside." said Itsuki.

"That makes sense. It's his box, so it must be made to specifically open for him so he can use its contents." said Ren.

"Your deductions are spot on. I found out as much information as I read through this box's manual." Hideaki nodded.

"Well sucks. But whatever, I got my awesome spear, so I don't need familiars."

Hideaki groaned, "Nobody asked you to open it. Anyway, I'm going to open box and see what's inside." he announced. He was able to move the lid of the box without any problem. The Five Heroes peer into the box, and see a stack of cards. Seven to be exact and they were all black in color, and the size of tarot cards. "Cards?"

"So, you use these cards to summon familiars?"

"Huh, like Yu-Gi-Oh or Cardfight?" called Naofumi.

"What?" Motoyasu blinked.

"There will be plenty of time to experiment with these cards later. The sun is setting, so I suggest you rest here for the night. Rest assured, we will assemble the best of the best for you all to recruit into your respective parties, that you may begin your quests tomorrow."

"So he says. But, using these cards right, I might not need a party." Hideaki deduced in his head.

A woman in a fancy dress, most likely a noblewoman, approached the Five Heroes.

"We already have rooms prepared for you. Please, follow me."

* * *

_-That Night: Castle Grounds-_

* * *

"I hear all four of the Cardinal Heroes were summoned to Melromarc."

"Really? Isn't that bad? What would the Queen say when she returns?"

"We probably shouldn't think much about it right now. Anyway, if the King summoned all four heroes, that means the Shield is among them."

"Yes, and not just that. There's also this 'Fifth Hero', named the Master Hero. No one knows where he came from, or what he's even capable of."

"Rumor has it, not even he knows. He said he could summon familiars, but didn't specify as to what kind. Is he as ignorant as the Shield Hero, or could he be hiding something? What if he can summon demons as familiars?"

"I shutter to think of such a possibility."

"But then again, if we can keep him on a tight leash, we might stand a chance against the Waves."

* * *

_-Meanwhile-_

* * *

Later that night, the Five Heroes were lounging together in a fancy room after dinner.

"Just as I thought. Being a hero means you get special treatment. The girl who served us this cake was cute, too!" Motoyasu grinned, already appreciating being treated like a celebrity.

"The food here is strange, but it is quite sumptuous." said Itsuki, having finished dining on his plate.

"Doesn't this feel like a video game?" asked Naofumi, still examining his own stats.

"Like I said before, we are in a video game." said Motoyasu, "This is exactly like Emerald Online."

"Never heard of it." replied the Shield Hero.

"What? It's totally big! How have you not heard it?"

"I've never heard of a game like that either." interjected Hideaki, "Probably because I don't keep up with current events or trends."

"Are you guys for real?" asked an incredulous Motoyasu.

"What're you all saying? This isn't some online game. This is a new console game I'm playing, called Dimension Web." said Itsuki.

"You both are wrong!" said Ren, "Everything in this game is exactly like the VRMMO, Brave Star Online."

 _"They honestly think they're in a video game?"_ Hideaki wondered, _"Being summoned to another world is a stretch already, but how did they come to the conclusion that this world is a game? And there's no way a VRMMO exists yet. Not with the current technology normal humans are capable of. As far as I'm aware, virtual reality video games have just begun to see the light of day."_

That was when they began to realize that something was a miss. The Heroes began to brainstorm. Once they stated random facts about the world that didn't seem to add up, such as what a VRMMO was, or who the current leader of Japan was, which country won World War II, and so on.

Eventually, the heroes concluded that they weren't from different era of time, as the histories they were familiar with were too dissimilar, they were from different worlds entirely, with their own timeline and history, completely alternate version of the world they were familiar with.

Thus, the plot thickens.

While the other heroes were busy chatting, Hideaki was lost in his own thoughts.

He wasn't entirely surprised to hear about alternate worlds, since there had been rumors of such a concept floating around the Clock Tower. Alternate timelines, universes, and events running concurrently at the same time.

From how the other heroes spoke, it seemed that these versions of Earth melded quite well with what he knew of alternate universe theory. Well, as little as he did know. And obviously, the world the Five Heroes were currently occupying was entirely separate from his world, meaning they all were summoned from entirely different dimensions all together, and brought to this unknown world. At least Naofumi's world was similar to his own, but still…

 _"None of this makes any sense… how could I have been summoned to another dimension?"_ Hideaki thoughts ran wild with this question. This went well beyond some run of the mill singularity. Could this be the result of Second Magic? _"The people in this world can use Second Magic to bring people from other dimensions to their own? I don't think any magus has ever experienced something like this before."_

"What do you think, Hideaki?" Motoyasu's obnoxious voice broke Hideaki's concentration.

"Excuse me?" Hideaki asked, blinking a few times in confusion. He saw Naofumi slumped over on the coach, looking listless. Whatever he missed, it probably had something to do with the Shield Hero being the possibly the weakest link of the group.

"We were discussing why Naofumi-san lacks of knowledge about this new game." informed Itsuki.

"We all came to the conclusion that it was because he's got the Shielder Class, which is the one class no real player would ever chose in a game, because it's a class for losers." said Motoyasu.

"What's your opinion on the subject?" asked Ren.

Of course, none of the other heroes were fazed by this. Their situation was strange to be sure, but to think of it as a game was stretching it by a quite a large margin. If they were mages, they'd be less likely to explain everything away as some game, but be more open to questioning their current environment. And the fact that someone had a less popular class assigned to them shouldn't coincide with their lack of knowledge or experience. Then again, this world was operating on an RPG mechanics-like system. If thinking this world is some kind of video game was how they were going to cope with the situation, who was he to tell them otherwise? Still, it doesn't give them an excuse to pick on Naofumi, or try to include him in it.

"Why would you ask me? I don't know a thing about whatever gaming logic you guys are spotting on about either." Hideaki replied, showing clear disinterest in whatever topic the other heroes were discussing.

"You know, now that I think about it, in my version of the game, I don't think I've ever seen anyone play a Summoner Class before." said Itsuki, "I wonder if it's a rare class only select players can choose?"

"Neither have I." Ren agreed, "The game I'm familiar with mostly focuses on the physical prowess of its players, with magic mostly taking a backseat. I'm not sure I've seen a magic player summon a familiar before."

"So what then, we got one loser class and another that's obscure, even though it sounds cool?" asked Motoyasu in confusion.

"You do realize I'm still in the room." Hideaki reproached, annoyed at being left out of the conversation.

"That reminds me, we don't know how your cards work yet, do we?" Ren stated.

"Oh yeah, I'm really curious about them too." said Motoyasu, staring

"You should take time to figure out how to use them right away."

"My cards, huh…" Hideaki picked one of the cards from his box, and examined it closely.

Hideaki began to wonder if these were Class Cards. He had never seen them before, but according the records in the Clock Tower, they were created by a mage from the now extinct Ainsworth clan. How this was possible was unknown, but these cards supposedly had the ability to give a mage the powers of a Heroic Spirit, rather than summoning the spirits themselves as Servants.

But, a Holy Grail, and an additional catalyst tied to the Heroic Spirit, was acquired to summon the Servants for the Holy Grail War ritual. There was no possible way he'd be able to summon a Heroic Spirit, even in this world.

Also, these cards are different in design. They were all black, and blank, so how to use then bore immediate investigation.

Opening up his menu, Hideaki quickly found instructions about the card.

"The Summoner Cards allows the user to summon a familiar, but at the cost of a set amount of MP. In order to use a card, you must pure the required amount of MP into the card and call out the name of the card once it appears. Use whatever incantation you see fit, so long as the card's name is mentioned. Once you do, the familiar will appear, and the contract is formed when Command Seals are present on the user's dominant hand. Do note, at your current level, you are unable to summon a higher level familiar or multiple at once, thus leveling up is recommended if you wish to summon multiple familiars of higher levels. Also, once you use a Summoner Card to call your familiar, that card is lost and unable to be used again, leaving the familiar in its place. Please use caution and appropriate conditions when using these cards." Hideaki read aloud. He was surprised to see the words "Command Seals" in the instructions, but he kept it well hidden. He remembered that every Master and Servant had a contract, and it was solidified by the three Command Seals on the Master's dominant hand.

"So that's how they work. Since you have set number of cards, you can't use them with reckless abandon, and you need to level us to get really good familiars." deduced Ren.

"Sucks that you can't summon super strong ones right off the bat at your current level." grinned Motoyasu, "But hey, if you level up high enough, you might be able to summon overpowered familiars!"

"I suppose it is possible." concurred Hideaki. However, testing that theory would prove disastrous if these cards were used improperly, especially if it taxes the user's MP. The instruction made that abundantly clear, so it would be best to save them for when he needed them.

"Man, I sure wish I was as lucky as you, Hideaki. At least yours abilities are kinda cool, but all I got is this measly shield. Probably can't even attack anything." Naofumi lamented, as he sat up from the coach.

Hideaki felt a little bad for what Naofumi had been settled with, so he figured he should show some moral support.

"Don't count yourself out just yet, Naofumi. I think a shield user could be beneficial for a party. For all you know, you could boost your party's defense stats; grant them temporary invincibility, or something like that. And there's your main function, being the one to tank heavy damage in place of the more fragile party members. If you ask me, the Shield Hero sounds like the backbone of the entire operation."

Naofumi's face lit up when he heard that, "You really think so?"

"Indeed I do. There's still the possibility that your shield has holds some skills that we don't know about. After all, we have yet to explore how our weapons actually work in this world."

"Yeah… you're right." Naofumi felt confident again. If he was the weakest of the bunch, all he had to do was find a strong party, and since his main role was to defend, he could protect them. If he was lucky, he could get some girls in it too. His love life back home was entirely lacking, but in a world like this, he could meet the one. He was chosen to be a Hero, so his success was guaranteed. The possibilities were endless for him. That was what he thought.

"This is going to be great! My adventure starts tomorrow!"

Naofumi wasn't the only excited for tomorrow. The other heroes decided that if wanted the energy to start adventuring, they would need to turn in for the rest, thus they return to their respective rooms.

Now alone in his private chambers, the Master Hero took time to recount all that had transpired today. He sat on his bed, and began to ponder once more.

Hideaki honestly had equal parts curiosity and apprehension at this 'adventuring in another world' thing. There were too many unanswered questions regarding how he and the Four Heroes were summoned here from their respective home worlds. There had to be something missing in this riddle.

"But… where to find it…" Hideaki muttered, trying to think of any magecraft capable of sending a person to another world that wasn't some kind of Reality Marble, or some kind of Singularity. After a long period of thought and deduction, he could find no answer.

"Damn… I guess there's no helping it. I'll have plenty of chances to research this world, and figure out what the purpose of the Waves of Catastrophe. Something also demands my attention."

Hideaki had discovered that he could make his box disappear and re-materialize whenever he so desired. With a flick of his wrist and brief flash of purple light, the silver box appeared on the palm of his hand.

Even though he was hesitant before, he decided to give this summoning thing a shot and see how it actually works. Not using a card would be sort of a waste.

He opened the lid on the box, and drew a card. He remembered what he read in the instruction manual for the cards, and tried focusing his MP into the card as instructed.

** [[MP: 40 Percent Decrease]] **   
** [[Summoner Card Activated]] **

As soon as it worked, the card changed color, from black to bronze, while revealing an image of a cloaked skeletal figure with daggers on it.

"What in the world?! That's impossible!" Hideaki exclaimed. The image of the Assassin Class Servant appeared on the card. But, based on the information he had gathered, this world was completely unrelated and separate from his world all together, and there was no Holy Grail that allows a Master to summon a Servant. Not to mention, there was no catalyst needed to attract the desired Heroic Spirit.

 _"So, these cards allow me to summon Heroic Spirits from my world as familiars, after all? Without the aid of the Holy Grail… or even catalyst… What the hell are these cards?"_ Hideaki pondered, but he decided there would be time to solve this new mystery later. Right now, it was time to test how well the Summoning Card worked.

It probably doesn't require the usual summoning incantation for summoning a Servant, and since the instructions said he could whatever incantation he wanted so long as he mentioned the name of the card, so…

"Servant of the Assassin Class, I beckon you to my call! Hear my summons and appear!"

Honestly, Hideaki felt embarrassed for saying that, but that incantation was on the type of his tongue. Thankfully, he was alone for this.

Suddenly, the card lit up in his hand.

** [[Preparing for Servant Arrival: Stand By]] **

Hideaki, surprised by the intensity of the blinding light dropped the card on the ground, where it continued to glow brightly.

The card dissolved in the light, and in its place was a life sized familiar he was not expecting.

The light vanished and revealed, instead of some kind of monster or otherworldly creature, a girl of average height and a beaming smile. She wore a blue stripped peasant dress, with a white bow above her rather… bountiful chest, and a white bonnet atop her head. In her gloved hands, she held a modified bayonet-like knife. With the smile still on her angelic face, her large turquoise eyes focused entirely on the person who summoned her.

"I've come in response to your summon! Assassin, Charlotte Corday! I'll do my best, but sorry if I fail, Master!" Assassin said cheerfully.

Hideaki meanwhile, could only make a face that spelled how dumbfounded he was by this situation.

"What…?" was the resounding echo the Master Hero that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I actually did this first before that short prologue. More will be explained about Hideaki as the story unfolds.
> 
> Update: One of the comments pointed out Hideaki being unaware of Second Magic, which I had completely forgotten about myself. So, I modified the part where Hideaki is trying to make sense of the whole alternate universe thing. Also regarding the thing about Class Cards mentioned at the end. Hideaki isn't from the Fate/Kaleid timeline. Rather, he is from a timeline somewhat similar to Kaleid, but those events don't occur in his world.
> 
> Update 2: I just realized that I didn't actually give Hideaki's box an actual name. I'm thinking the box will need different functions from the other Legendary Weapons in order to work. That will be covered in the next chapter.


	3. Setting Stage

After summoning his first familiar, Hideaki would be in for the shock of his life.

"I've come in response to your summon! Assassin, Charlotte Corday! I'll do my best, but sorry if I fail, Master!"

"What?!" gasped a flabbergasted Hideaki, "What is happening here?"

"Is something the matter, Master? You seem perplexed." Assassin said, worried about her master's lack of response.

Hideaki's brain went into overdrive. He actually summoned a Heroic Spirit as a familiar in this world, without use a Holy Grail or catalyst. Using just one of these cards, and nothing else! How did this work?! How was this possible?! Despite being these worlds literally apart from another, he summoned a Servant! It was miraculous, but it made no sense at all!

"Um, Master?" said a concerned Assassin.

"S-Sorry, this just caught me off guard." Hideaki replied, "I just can't believe I summoned a Servant to this world. My heads spinning with questions right now…"

"Oh… to be honest, I'm rather confused as well." Assassin said politely, "I know for a fact that you summoned me, as evident by the Command Seals on your hand."

That was when Hideaki realized that he should have the Command Seals after Assassin was summoned. One quick look and he found them on his right hand. They resembled three red circles folding down and melding together.

"However, I don't sense any other Servants… or a Holy Grail for that matter. Master, could you explain to me what's going on?" Assassin requested.

Hideaki wasn't surprised to hear that a Servant couldn't find traces of other Servants or the Holy Grail in this world. He understood her confusion, given that he too couldn't fully figure out how this all happened.

In his field of vision, the Status Magic allowed Hideaki to spot Assassin's name below his. It appears she was registered as a member of his party as soon as she was summoned.

**[[Name: Charlotte Corday]]**   
**[[Class: Assassin]]**   
**[[Level: 1]]**

**[[Weapon: Bayonet]]**

**[[Max HP: 44]]**   
**[[Max MP: 5]]**   
**[[Max SP: 20]]**

**[[ATT: 7]]**   
**[[MAG: 0]]**   
**[[PDEF: 10]]**   
**[[MDEF:4]]**   
**[[AGI: 20]]**   
**[[DEX: 16]]**

_"So she's registered as a member of my party, and she has her own stats. Even at level 1, these aren't very good. That's to be expected from someone like Charlotte Corday, who wasn't a mage or great warrior from legend."_ he thought as he scanned her status menu. According to his historical knowledge, Charlotte Corday was a young woman who successfully assassinated the leader of the Jacobin faction during the French Revolution, Jean-Paul Marat, but was later executed via decapitation. No one understood why she came up with the reckless plan to assassinate Marat, who was causing major unrest among the masses with his extremist actions, but an amazing amount of good fortune helped her succeed. She would go down in history as the "Angel of Assassination" due to her beauty and successful assassination attempt.

"Um, Master?" uttered Assassin, looking confused at her Master's silent action

"Sorry, I just needed to check something." said Hideaki, "Anyway, I should explain what's going on as best I can to you. Be warned, not even I know what the full situation is, on account of being given vague information."

Hideaki explained the situation to Assassin as best could, which took a few minutes. Thankfully, she was intelligent enough to understand the scope of the information given to her.

"I see. First, you were summoned to another world, being this world, but the original number of Cardinal Heroes was supposed to be four, and you were summoned by mistake as a fifth "Master Hero". Through this Summoner Card, you were able to summon me as a Servant, or rather, a familiar to this world. Next, you were told by the King of this country that these "Waves of Catastrophe" will destroy this world unless the five of you stop them. And so, you agreed to help save this world, by doing research on the Waves, and venturing out to gain strength. Is that correct?" Assassin surmised.

"That's the gist of it." confirmed Hideaki.

"And it appears you'll need my help to meet the challenges ahead." Assassin smiled, "I'm pretty you know because of your Status Magic that I'm abysmal in every since of the word, but I'll do my best to assist you, Master."

"That's all I ask of you, Assassin." said Hideaki.

"Oh, since there's no other Servant besides myself, and no Holy Grail in the world to host a Grail War with, I'd like it if you just called me by my name, Charlotte."

"O-Oh, alright…" Hideaki was told that it was a general rule that the true name of a Heroic Spirit summoned in the Holy Grail War were to be referred to by their Servant Class, for it would be disadvantageous for other Servants to know who the competition is and how to counter act their Noble Phantasm. Since there was no Holy Grail War, it would be meaningless to call her "Assassin" to begin with.

"In that case, you don't need to refer to me as Master. You can just call me Hideaki."

"Okay, Hideaki-san. I think I like that better. I look forward to working with you from here on out." Charlotte said with yet another cheerful smile, which made Hideaki feel a bit awkward.

"Y-Yeah…" Hideaki replied.

Speaking of angels…

"By the way… Charlotte…"

"What is it, Hideaki-san?"

"I have one last question. What is that?" Hideaki points to a floating yellow glowing egg shaped thing with wings and halo, hovering around Charlotte.

"Oh this? It's an angel." Charlotte answered.

"An angel?"

"Yes, an angel."

"An angel…" Hideaki stared at the "angel" with disbelief.

The "angel" in question smiled widely, revealing a healthy set of teeth. It was unnerving, to say the least.

"Well… that's the last weird thing I needed to see today. I'm going to bed." Hideaki decided. He walked over to the large bed and sat down on the mattress.

"Oh, but there's only one bed. Would you like to share?" Charlotte asked, blushing a little.

"W-What?" Hideaki sputtered, also blushing.

"I'm teasing. I'll be in spirit form to conserve energy. Luckily, you have a good amount of mana to help me stay in this world, so there isn't a need to worry."

"My mana?" Hideaki realized that he had used MP to summon Charlotte, as per the instruction. One quick check into his status menu, and he found his MP gradually restoring itself after he used the card. "I had lost 40% of my MP in summoning Charlotte, but after a bit of time passed, it'll restore itself naturally. Convenient."

"I have no idea how video games work, but it sure is amazing." Charlotte said, "Anyway, it's time you went to asleep. You have a big day tomorrow. Naturally, I'll help you anyway I can. Goodnight." Charlotte vanished in an ethereal blue light.

"Yeah, goodnight…" Hideaki laid down on the mattress, covered himself with the blanket, and let the exhaustion from today wash over him, and he fell asleep.

* * *

_-Dream: Three Years Ago-_

* * *

_"You're Hideaki Shiraishi, the last known member of the Shiraishi clan, correct?" asked a man with a red scarf._

_"Yes. Are you from the Clock Tower?" asked an 18 year old Hideaki, who had just graduated from high school. This man with a red scarf had visited his home unannounced, and began questioning the boy as they sat in the living room. The young mage had an idea of who this man was. Otherwise, how did he know he was the only known member of the Shiraishi clan?_

_"Oh, so you're aware of the Mage's Association? That makes things easier." said the man, "To be honest, your existence is surprising, considering that Magus Family in this country died out recently."_

_Normally, I wouldn't travel half way across the world to this bloody country, but your existence, and most importantly, your potential can't be ignored."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"One of our esteemed higher ups wishes taking you on his pupil. First however, you're going to need to go through formal training and education in the Clock Tower. It seems you do possess some talent in magecraft, even if it's taken this long to find you." the man explained._

_"So, I'll be allowed to study at the Clock Tower?"_

_"If you want. Personally, I think it might be fruitless, knowing that your clan has died out, and you probably haven't practiced magecraft in years, but that man is stubborn. If he got a hold of you now, you'd probably be dead, or crippled for life. It took quite a bit to convince him not to kidnap you." the man said bluntly, causing some apprehension in the young mage. "Study with us in the Clock Tower first and learn as much as you can about magecraft, and perhaps in three years or so, you might survive his teachings by some slim miracle. The choice is yours, so choose wisely."_

_Hideaki thought long and hard. As time passed, his clan's magical abilities began to fade, until he was the only one with any Magic Circuits in his body. While he did practice Magecraft when he was younger under his parents' tutelage, he began to lose interest after they died four years ago. Now, it was just him in a lonely house, with no living relatives to support him. He was regular teenager, with typical teenage interests, and was even a fan of most anime and video games, and had a part-time job to make ends meet. He did occasionally practice the art at home, but not to a regular extent. However, he was being offered a chance at the Clock Tower, something he did want to do when he grew up, but that dream died when his parents died._

_Actually, he never considered what college or university to attend after high school, or even what career path he wanted to follow. So, what better opportunity to go the Clock Tower now, while his life was aimless. He could pick up the practicing of magecraft again, and go further than he used to. With his old dream re-ignited, Hideaki made his choice._

_"I'll do it."_

_"I see. I was hoping you'd decline, but that look in your eyes can't be dismissed." the man smirked, "Actually, I like it."_

_"Thank you, for giving me this chance, Lord Ell-Melloi."_

_"That's 'Lord El-Melloi II'." El-Melloi II sharply reproached, "In any case, you can begin packing. I'll handle whatever paperwork and expenses are needed for you to travel overseas and enroll you into the Clock Tower. I look forward to seeing in class, Shiraishi."_

_"Yes, sir!"_

* * *

_-Present Day: Morning-_

* * *

"Hideaki-san!" a cheerful voice, "Its morning! Wake up, please!"

Hideaki stirred as he heard a familiar voice, belonging to a cheerful woman.

"Oh right… Charlotte…" Hideaki slowly opened his eyes. He turned his head to his right, which was the direction of Charlotte's voice. He was met with a pair of... jiggling clouds right above him. It was a strange sight, but an enticing one at that. Several seconds passed, and he couldn't take his eyes off of those clouds.

"Good morning, Hideaki-san. If you're done staring, you should get ready for your meeting in the throne room." said the smiling Assassin, with a faint amount of blush.

"Ah! Sorry." Hideaki quickly shifted his head to the opposite direction and sat up from the mattress. He was beginning to wonder if he was being influenced by Motoyasu. That clown had a way of getting under his skin, despite the two having just met in the span of a day. He hoped that once he began questing, he would see less of the Spear Hero as time went on.

After spending a few minutes freshening up and getting dressed, Hideaki was about to head out.

"Charlotte, I think you should probably stay in spirit form for a while."

"Eh? Are you sure?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah. I'll be in front of royalty and nobility after all, and I'm sure you're not itching to greet them face to face so soon." said Hideaki to his Servant. Given her history with nobles, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by reminding her of her ill fate back in the French Revolution.

"That would be for the best. You said the King seemed agreeable, but I suppose I'd still feel uneasy either way. Thank you, Hideaki-san. I'll be beside you the whole time, so don't hesitate to call on me if you need me." Charlotte assumed her intangible spirit form, and Hideaki left the guest for the throne room.

* * *

_-Throne Room-_

* * *

The Five Heroes enter the throne room side by side, ready to meet their would-be party members.

"We have chosen these brave warriors who will fight with you Five Legendary Heroes." announced King Aultcray.

Hideaki took a moment to scan the crowd of adventurers. There stood male and female adventurers varying classes, all adding up to thirteen.

_"This is a good number, but for some reason, there are more women here then there are men."_ Hideaki thought, finding these numbers odd.

He took notice immediately of one female adventurer. She was quite beautiful, with striking red hair and emerald green eyes. Interestingly, the Master Hero found that there was a very slight resemblance to King Aultcray. She seemed to have a calm and friendly disposition, but there was something off about her. She did well to hide it, but there seemed to be a distinct level of untrustworthiness in her eyes, and indifference to this event.

**_"She's quite the vision, isn't she?"_ **Charlotte's voice suddenly echoed into Hideaki's head, giving the mage a bit of light scare. She wasn't kidding about being by his side the whole time, but it different sense. It was more like the Assassin was in his head, then by his side directly, invisible or otherwise. This must be what telepathy was like.

_"Okay... that's going to take some getting used."_

**_"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."_ **

_"It's alright."_ Hideaki lightly shook his head, _"As for that woman… I'm actually not very keen on having her join my party."_

**_"I see… to be honest, I'm getting a bad vibe from her, as well."_ **

_"You too? Well, if we're allowed to choose our party members, it'll set both our minds at ease."_

He quickly noticed her line of sight falling to Naofumi, who immediately seemed enamored by her.

"Now, our future champions, it is time to begin your journey!"

"Pardon my impertinence, Your Majesty." said Hideaki, "I couldn't help but feel compelled to ask how this selection process will work. Do we choice our party members based on certain criteria?" asked Hideaki.

"Ah yes. Actually, we thought it best that they choose which hero they want to party with." answered Aultcray.

"Wait, so we don't get to choose?" asked Naofumi.

"I see." said Hideaki.

"You're okay with this?"

"I don't like it either, but complaining won't do any good. As long as they pull their weight and teach what we need to know, it really doesn't matter who joins me." said Hideaki, _"Although, I'm really hoping that redhead doesn't come to me."_

"Now then adventurers, choose your Hero." the King ordered.

Soon after, the adventurers march toward the Five Heroes. Within moments, the parties were formed behind the heroes.

Motoyasu's consisted mainly of four women, including the red haired woman, much to Hideaki's relief.

Itsuki had three in his party, while Ren had up to six.

Meanwhile, Naofumi and Hideaki had none.

"Y-Yo, King!" Naofumi quickly complained, while Hideaki remained silent.

"I hate to admit it, but even I did not foresee this." said Aultcray calmly.

"No volunteers? You both must have zero charisma." said the advisor.

"That's encouraging." Hideaki said, sarcastically. He quickly spotted another attendant whispering something into Aultcray's ear.

"I've been made aware of an unsettling rumor." said the King after attendant stood back.

"Did something happen?" asked Motoyasu, showing some concern for his fellow Heroes.

"Not exactly. There's this rumor quickly spreading around time says that the Shield Hero is ignorant of this world."

"What?!" Naofumi exclaimed.

_"That sounds awfully specific."_ Hideaki grimaced.

"Legend has it that Cardinal Heroes have a firm understanding of our lands, and the townspeople don't seem to think the Shield meets that criteria." explained the King, "As for the Master Hero, suffice it to say, the townspeople are rather apprehensive of a Hero who could theatrically summon anything to be under his control, including possibly demons."

Hideaki wasn't surprised to see this happen, or to hear rumors about himself quickly developing. The other Four Heroes are known legends in this world. His case was entirely different, being an unknown element in this story, and no one knew what a Master Hero could do. For all they knew, he could summon some otherworldly demons that could do all the fighting for him and cause more destruction than the Waves. Even the Master Hero himself didn't know what these cards could do until he summoned Charlotte. As bizarre and beyond comprehension as it was, he was able to summon Heroic Spirits from his own world. And since that was the case, Hideaki may not need a party of adventurers, even if they could help him make sense of this world.

But then, there was Naofumi's case. Even if the Shield and Master Heroes were ignorant of this world, why should that impact their decision to work with them, when all they have to do was teach them the basics of adventuring in this world? In fact, all of the Cardinal Heroes were beginners with no real knowledge of how this world really works, so was why Naofumi being singled out? Does this really have something to do with the Shield?

"You're kidding…" Naofumi muttered in disbelief.

"Somebody must've listened in on our chat last night." Motoyasu whispered to Naofumi. Hideaki stood shoulder to shoulder with Motoyasu, so he was able to hear what he said.

"Either that or prior knowledge about the Four Cardinal Heroes has circled around for years which lead to these rumors somehow or another. Meanwhile, no one has a clue about this fifth 'Master Hero', so it makes sense no one wants to party with me." said Hideaki.

"You think…?" Naofumi exclaimed before turning to Ren, "Ren, you need don't six, right? Give some to me!"

"You're right, I'm a loner, so I don't need them. Anyone who can't keep up, gets left in the dust." said Ren bluntly. This only motivated the five in his part to stay by Ren even more.

**_"That was rather blunt of him."_ **

"Oh, come on!" Naofumi complained, "Motoyasu, don't you think this is unfair!"

"Y-Yeah…" Motoyasu said, with a weak sympathetic smile, "I mean, even I wasn't expecting my party be all girls."

"Big surprise." Hideaki jeered.

**_"He's a skirt chaser by nature, isn't he?"_ **

"It might be fair to split them up two a piece, with an odd number of three, but if we try to force the issue, it could just destroy everybody's morale." interjected Itsuki. The adventurers behind the Bow Hero all nod in agreement.

**_"That sounds reasonably, but…"_ **

"Regardless, if they're unwilling to party with us, it shows a clear lack of faith in our ability to protect this world if you're willing to believe the rumors about us." said Hideaki with a even tone, "Prior experience or knowledge aside, we're all beginners here, thus it shouldn't be too much trouble to teach us how this world works and help us improve our strengths. If you want your world to be saved, then trusting your Heroes to learn is essential, isn't it?"

An adventurer among Ren's party gave a slight response to that.

"Y-Yeah, he's right! We can't go this alone!" Naofumi exclaimed frustration. Knowing that he was a shield user, a class for losers in the words of the Three Heroes, he cannot attack anything. How was he supposed to get any stronger without a party?

Suddenly, a slender hand rose up from Motoyasu's party.

"Excuse me, Sir Hero." a sweetly seductive voice called out to the Spear Hero. Both he and Naofumi turn to see the red haired woman approaching the Shield Hero.

"I would like to switch parties with the Shield Hero. Would you kindly allow that?" asked the woman, sporting a kind smile.

"Oh, are you sure?" asked Motoyasu, clearly hesitant to let the woman go.

"Absolutely!"

_"That was random. Why would she do that now?"_ Hideaki wondered. He observed Naofumi's reaction, and naturally he looked relieved and happy that the woman he was enamored with was willing to join him. Granted, he didn't know this woman at all, but the Master Hero couldn't shake this feeling that trusting her would be a huge mistake. If she really cared enough to be in the Naofumi's party, she should have chosen him right away instead of going to Motoyasu. Her actions were way too suspicious to be out of the kindness of her heart, if it really existed. But, Naofumi needs someone to party with, so he shouldn't impede him, at least not too much. He decided to settle with warning him.

"My name is Myne Sophia. It's a pleasure to make you, Sir Shield Hero."

_"Has she not memorized his name yet? What about the rest of us for that matter? I would have thought they'd be given information about us before hand, especially our names."_ Hideaki's suspicion of her grew even more.

**_"There's a good chance she didn't place much stock in learning the Heroes names unless they were of some value to her."_ **

"I'm Naofumi Iwatani, same here." Naofumi said as he shook hands with Myne, before remembering the lonesome Master Hero, "Hold on, what about Hideaki?" Naofumi turned to Hideaki, who shook his head.

"It's fine. You need someone to fight for you, being a shield user and all. I can manage."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just…" Hideaki quietly approached Naofumi and whispered into his ear, "Be careful around that woman. She seems nice, but something about her rubs me the wrong way."

"What're you saying? You think she's evil? But, she's so nice and cute too!"

"I know, but sometimes, looks can be deceiving. Just keep an eye out for her, okay?"

"If you say so, but I think you're just being paranoid."

"Yeah, I hope so." Hideaki glanced toward Myne, who still wore an unassuming smile on her face.

Meanwhile, the King was sporting a rather worried look. The Master Hero spotted this, and wondered if the older man and Myne were connected in some way, seeing as he was showing some hesitation in allowing the woman to join the Shied Hero.

"Is there anyone else willing to join with Naofumi-dono?" asked the King. No voices were raised. "Very well. Now, all we have left to do is solve the issue with Hideaki-dono's party."

"I don't think he has any issues. After all, he's got his Summoner Cards, so he can just get familiars to function as his party. When you think about it, a party of adventurers would be superfluous for him." said Itsuki.

"Yeah! And I bet he's already summoned a familiar." said Motoyasu.

"I don't see anything anywhere, though. Hideaki, have you used a card yet?" asked Ren.

Hideaki was hesitant to answer that question, especially since his familiar is the historical Charlotte Corday, who didn't have a good experience dealing with nobles and royalty. He didn't want to expose her, and make relive bad memories, that was why he suggested she stay in spirit form.

**_"It's alright, Hideaki-san."_ **

_"Charlotte…?"_

**_"It's true that I don't hold nobility and royals in high regard, but I did promise I would do my best for you, my Master. I can withhold my discomfort for the time being."_ **

_"Okay, but are you really sure?"_

_"_ **_It really makes me happy that you're considering my feelings, but we do need to prove your worth a Hero, don't we? Besides, I have my pride as a Servant to think about too."_ **

_"Alright."_ Hideaki nodded, "As a matter of fact I have. Last night, I summoned a familiar."

"Is that so?" asked Aultcray.

"Yes. Granted, she wasn't what I was expecting, but-"

"Wait, SHE?" Motoyasu blurted, "So these familiar things have genders?"

"Is that some kind of issue for you?" asked Hideaki.

"No, not really. I was just thinking how crazy it would be if you summoned something that looked human." Motoyasu joked, to Hideaki's ire.

"Maybe you shouldn't have mentioned her gender…" said Naofumi with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, actually…" Hideaki sighed. That was when Charlotte decided to materialize into physical form in front of everyone in the throne room.

"Hello everyone." Charlotte greeted with a deceptively cheerful smile, "I'm Charlotte, Hideaki-san's familiar. Or, to be accurate, I'm his Servant. It's a pleasure to meet everyone."

"W-What…?" Motoyasu's jaw dropped.

Everyone, and everything, went silent the moment Charlotte appeared.

Hideaki could see that she kept a pleasant smile, but she still had some subtle discomfort about showing herself to so many people, especially royalty and nobility. Perhaps this was reminding her of her trial prior to her execution.

"S-So, Hideaki-dono, I take this young lady is… your familiar…?" asked Aultcray.

"Yes. She is indeed my familiar." Hideaki answered, "She's what's called a Heroic Spirit, a figure in my world who has made themselves a legend in far off past, whether it be from mythological lore or historic fact. In a way, she's sort of like me and the other Four Heroes, except she was already well known, and through my cards, she was summoned by me to act as my Servant, hence why I'm called the Master Hero."

He decided that he should at least reveal this much about Heroic Spirits, and now why they were summoned.

"I see..." Aultcray nodded, still a little confused as to how this was possible. Familiars usually refer to the summoning of a wild animal or mystical creature to serve as an aid for a magic user. Never before had laid his old eyes upon a human familiar. "Am I to assume you have a contract since she is a kind of familiar to her then?"

"Yes." Hideaki raised his hand and presented his Command Seals, "With these three Command Seals on my hand, I can maintain her presence here. Additionally, if necessary, I can use the seals make Charlotte perform a specific action. But, because I have a limited amount, I'm only going to use them when I need to."

He had a feeling explaining how the Command Seals work wasn't a smart decision, but it needed to be done in order to get the information across. Before he could say any further, Hideaki was grabbed roughly by Motoyasu by the collar of his jacket. The Spear Hero went from arrogant, to confused, to fuming with jealousy in a matter of minutes as a result of what happened.

"Hey, Hideaki, what the hell is this?! How it is possible for you to summon this super cute girl to be your familiar?!” the Spear Hero demanded.

"Get your hands off of me! I said before she wasn't what I was expecting!" Hideaki yelled back, swatting away the Spear Hero's hand from his collar.

"And what's this crap about Command Seals?! Are you seriously going to force her into fighting?!"

"Did you not hear me, or is your brain low functioning?!" Hideaki retorted, "I just said that I wasn't going to use them unless absolutely necessary!"

"Goodness, I hope my presence hasn't caused any inconvenience." said Charlotte, looking at Motoyasu with sad eyes.

"O-Of course not!" sputtered a flustered Motoyasu, who casually approached her after leaving Hideaki alone. "I just have a problem with Hideaki, that's all. I mean, how could he summon a girl like you to fight for him? Nobody should be forced to fight!"

"Oh really? But, it seems to me you're only acting this way out of jealously, rather than concern for my well being. That's why you felt the need to confront Hideaki-san, right?" Charlotte asked with a cold stare. Surprisingly, her sweet smile remained the same, to Motoyasu horror.

"Eh..." the blonde turned pale after being on the receiving end of the cold stare.

"Oh, I'm just kidding. I greatly appreciate you looking out for me." said Charlotte, softening her gaze. The coldness in her eyes disappeared, bringing the Spear some relief.

"Ahem! If you'll allow me to take over..." Aultcray cut in, raising an authoritative hand up to cease the commotion. He turned his stern gaze to Charlotte. "Charlotte, that is your name, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Charlotte replied, returning the gaze with a professionally stoic expression.

"I take it you have been made aware of the situation by Hideaki-dono the moment you were brought here?"

"Yes, he was good enough to tell me what he could." Charlotte answered, "And please rest assured, however meager my skills are, I'll do my best to fight for my Master and help him save this world. It is my role as a Servant, and I'll gladly fulfill it."

"Then you are fighting of your own accord?"

"Indeed I am." Charlotte answered with a confident smile.

"Very well. Then, there is no reason to be upset, Motoyasu-dono." said the King, to the Spear Hero's dismay.

"B-But, sir!"

"She has made it clear that she is willing to fight on Hideaki-dono's behalf. You mustn't interfere."

"F-Fine." Motoyasu conceded, before turning back to Charlotte, "But, are you sure you can handle yourself in a fight?"

"Of course. I'm aware of my limits, but I can at least catch my opponents off guard in it comes down it." answered Charlotte.

"Oh really? I doubt anyone would miss a cutie like you." Motoyasu casually approached Charlotte until he was before two feet away. That was when...

_**SLASH!** _

The air in front of Motoyasu's face was cut shiftily and thinly as a bayonet narrowly brushed against the Spear Hero's ear, had his survival instincts not kicked in just in time. He moved his head out of the way of the incoming knife ready to drive itself into his face. He turned pale, due to how easily the Assassin managed to graze his aura with a simple slash of her bayonet. The entire room went silent. 

"By the way, my Servant Class is Assassin. I don't think I need make another demonstration on why, correct?" Charlotte inquired as she fold her arms to her pelvis, as the bayonet vanished from sight.

"O-Okay, you win..." Motoyasu said, quite obviously terrified.

_"Wow. She's much more conning than I first assumed."_ Hideaki thought to himself, now thinking that he should be more careful around her. He also found it assuming how Motoyasu was quivering in fear. Was he fearful of girls with knives?

Recomposing himself from his near death experience, Motoyasu turned to Hideaki, "Hideaki, I'll approve of this for now, but you better not make her fight by herself!"

"That wasn't my intention from the beginning anyway. Since my MP is pretty high, I think I'll try studying this world's magic in hopes I can provide support to Charlotte and my future Servants."

"Perhaps I can lend a hand with that endeavor." said a male voice, which came from Ren's six man party. Hideaki turned to see a tall man with medium navy hair approaching him and Charlotte. He wore a coat similar to the priests that summoned the Five Heroes.

"And you are?"

"My name is Eoin. I'm a Cleric from the Three Heroes Church."

"Three Heroes Church? Shouldn't it be the Four Heroes Church, given this world's legend about the Four Cardinal Heroes?"

"The history behind the name of our sect is long and overly complicated, so you need not trouble yourself over it, Master Hero-sama." said Eoin, "Just know that I believe what you said earlier is correct. If we are to fend off the Waves of Catastrophe, it is imperative that we let go of our preconceived notions and lend our knowledge to the Heroes of legend. That includes our new Fifth, who I am personally curious about." 

"I see..." said Hideaki, before training his sight to Ren, "And you're okay with this, Ren?"

"If he thinks he can be of help to you, then it's his choice." said Ren.

Honestly, given the ease at which this Cleric switched parties, the Master Hero couldn't help but feel suspicious of the former's actions, especially since he refused to give details regarding the church he belonged to. Then again, the latter needed help in this world as well, so he saw no reason to turn him down. "Alright, if this is what you want."

"You have my humble thanks for allowing me to join you, Master Hero-sama." said Eoin, now standing behind the Master Hero.

"So then, are there any wish to join Hideaki-dono's party as well?" asked Aultcray. No one answered, thus the matter was settled. "Very well, so be it. We'll have to consider other measures. Naofumi-dono will have to recruit more party members yourself. Meanwhile, Hideaki-dono can make do with his "Servants" in due time, though if necessary, you can recruit allies as well."

"O-Oh, right!" Naofumi sputtered.

"Acknowledged." said Hideaki.

"Every month, we shall provide the Heroes with the funds they require for their quests. However, this one time, Sirs Naofumi and Hideaki will be given a higher payment then the others." said the King, to the two Heroes relief. "Here are your initial war chests. Accept them with our thanks."

Five nobles approach the Five Heroes with bags of coins.

"The Shield and Master Hero will receive 800 hundred silver, while the rest of you shall receive 600 silver." said the advisor.

"Procure all the necessary equipment, and set forth!" the King ordered to the Five Heroes.

"Sir!" the Five declared. With that, the setting stage was set. The Five Cardinal Heroes were ready to begin their adventures in Melromarc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For clarification, Hideaki thoughts, or anyone's for that matter are typed with "Italic", with the exception being in flashbacks like in this chapter due to them being entirely "Italic", while a Servant in spirit form, or some other inhuman entity communicate in "Bold".
> 
> This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I decided to split off to this point and continue on in another chapter.


End file.
